Diagnosis Bipolar: Five Families Search for Answers

10 years ago a mother, and the most beautiful 3yo child I have ever seen, walked into the store at which I was the manager. Mom and I became friendly enough to exchange phone numbers and would occasionally message each other. One day she sends "I had to give him up to foster care. I can't take it anymore" What I didn't know was this child's behavior at home. Violent tantrums, starting fires, etc. My husband and i happened to have space and time to help this family. We reunited mother and child and started the process getting her back on her feet. CPS was involved the whole time. We were never compensated with money.

Things were going well.. until they weren't.

This child would behave EXACTLY the way these children did in this documentary. Hours-long+ violent tantrums multiple times each day. ... for years!

He's now almost 13 and doing well.. No medication currently. But every day is a struggle.

I really respected the real look of pediatric bi-polar children and how their parents are coping. I didn't see this until 2023 but I wish I would have seen it when it came out as I had a 4 year old that was struggling in the same way and not getting correct diagnoses. I was fortunate to be in probably one of the best districts in IL for special needs children and received tremendous resources and support. Even with that, we had many difficult years and many hospitalizations. The impact is profound on the family and relationships that surround the family as no one can understand the differences of not a neurotypical child is unless you have one or are seeing them all day. I would love to see a follow up on the kids and families progress now 14 years later as young adults. My son at 17 is doing very well in school and his anger outbursts at home have been very minimal for the last 2 years. I worry about the future though and for life to be as fulfilling as school is. He still has mainly online friends and he's really a sweet, kind, boy who just wants to fit in. I would love to see how these parents navigated post high school and if the kids had much better control.

Being a parent of a special needs child is full of heartbreaks. Accepting your child's limitations will ease your grief and sorrow. Accepting that public schools are not designed for neuro-divergent children will go a long way in giving yourself permission to find alternate pathways to teach your child. Accepting that your child's behavior will ostracize them from society gives you permission to form support groups with other families that have children with special needs for your own mental health and perhaps help your child have an opportunity to learn some, some self-control from others as time goes on and as he matures.